Wire-fence machine



No. 609,535. Patented Aug. 23, I898.

H. L. DAVIS.

WIRE FENCE MACHINE.

(Application-filed Sept. 8, 1897.) (No Model.)

Witnesses HUGH L. DAVIS, OF BRAYMER, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO THE DE KALB FENCE COMPANY, OF DE KALB, ILLINOIS.

WIRE-FENCE MACHINE.

SPEGIFIUATION formingpart of Letters Patent 1\To. 609,535, datedAugust 23, 1898. Application filed September 8, 1897. Serial No. 651,008. (No model.)

To a. whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HUGH L. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Braymer, in the county of Caldwell and State of Missouri,'have invented certain'new and useful Improvements in Machines for Making Wire Fences; and Ido declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accom-j panying drawings, and to the letters'of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in a machine for making wire fences; and it consists in the novel construction and arrangement of its parts, as hereinafter described, and definitely'pointed out in but little labor; These and other objects not' hareinbefore mentioned are accomplished by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein. like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views, and in which-- Figure 1 is a perspective View of the maohine applied to the fence. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the twisting mechanism. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through Fig. 2 on the line 3 3. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the line and stay wires, showing the loop. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the twister with the pinion removed. Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the twister with the pinion removed, showing the beveled disengaging means.

In the drawings, A designates a fence-post, B the line-wires, and O the stay-wires.

D designates a rectangular frame which is adapted to be slid along the ground in making the fence and is provided with the slots D,

in which are the same.

E E designate arms extending outwardly placed the line-wires B to guide from the frame D, which secure in place the verticall rod F.

*"G designates a sleeve or arm which is slidingly mounted on the rod F and which supports the twisting mechanism. The sleeve G is provided with a circular collar G, through which the rod F passes and on which the sleeve works.

The rod F forms a perpendicular guide for the sleeve G and the twisting mechanism, the said'mechanism being supported at one end by the line-wire and at the other end by the operator,*who maintains a hold on the handle R.

The twisting mechanism consists of a frame H, which has a plate H extending from one side'which is providedwith a series of holes I. One end of the sleeve G is bifurcated and passes onopposite "sides of the plate H and is secured to the plate by means of a pin I,

passing through a hole in the bifurcated end of the arm and one of the holes lot the plate II. By providing the plate H with a series of holes the frame can be adj ustably secured to the sleeve G. J ournaled on the frame H is a gear-wheel J. This gear-wheel J is journaled centrally on the frame H by means of the pin J and is adapted to mesh with the two smaller gear-wheels or pinions K K, which have the same number of teeth, which are also journaled on the frame and arranged on opposite sides of the gear-wheel J. The pinion K is the operating-pinion and has secured to it the crank-handle L for rotating the same. The pinion K is suitably mounted on the twister M. The twister M and pinion K are provided with a coinciding slot M, which'is adapted to engage the line-wire, as hereinafter described. The twister M extends on one side beyond the frame H and is provided with a hook N on one side of the slot M, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 5. On the opposite side of the slot M is a shoulder N, which has a beveled portionN, which is arranged adjacent to the lower portion of the slot and is for the purpose hereinafter described. The pinion or gear-wheel J is provided with the oppositely-arranged apertures O in line with the slot M at certain intervals.

P is a lever pivoted to the frame at P and has pivoted to one end a pin Q, which is adapted to pass through the aperture in the frame H and engage one of the apertures O in the gear-wheel J.

Q is a leaf-spring for normally holding the pin Q in engagement with the aperture 0. The frame His provided with a handle R and with a protecting-plate S for protecting the inner end of the twister M.

In operation when the pin Q engages one of the apertures O in the gear-wheel J the slot M in the twister and gear-wheel K will register with the bifurcated end T of the frame and engage one of the line-wires B, as shown in Fig. 3. The gear-wheel J is now released by pressing on the lever P, and the pinion is operated until the parts assume the position shown in Figs. 2 and 5. In this position it will be noticed that the hook N will be pointing upward and that the stay-wire G will be between the hook and the line-wire B. The upper end of the stay-wire O is secured to a spool U and the lower end is made fast to a securing device V, as shown in Fig. 1. WVhen the parts are in position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, the gear-wheels are actuated so that the twister will turn to the left (shown by the arrow, Fig. 5) and the stay-wire G will be twisted around the line-Wire B, forming a loop B, as shown in Fig. 4. The parts of the machine will now assume the position shown in Fig. 3, and the frame, when pressed to the left or toward the fence, and the beveled portion N on the shoulder N (see Fig. 5) will engage the stay-wire O, forcing the hook out of engagement with the loop B. In this position the slots M register with the bifurcated end T of the frame II, and the frame can be disengaged from the line-wire and the frame moved upward on the rod F to form the next loop of wire.

It will be seen from the above-described construction that I provide a device which has but few parts and which can be easily operated. I also provide a device which loops the stay-wire 0 around the line-wire B instead of simply twisting the same and which forms the stay-wire O with the loop 13, so that the stay-wire O can contract and expand with the changes in temperature.

I am aware that many minor changes can be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without in the least departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a supportingframe adapted to be slid along the line of fence, of a twisting-frame slidingly secured on the supporting-frame, a twister on the twisting-frame having a slot adapted to engage the line-wire, a hook on one end of the twister adapted to engage the stay-wire, and means for rotating the twister to engage the hook with the stay-wire, substantially as described.

.2. The combination with the supportingframe adapted to be slid along the line of fence,

1 of a twisting-frame slidingly secured on the supporting-frame, a twister on the twistingframe provided with a slot adapted to engage the line-wire, a hook on one end of the twister adapted to be engaged with the stay-wire, a shoulder on the twister opposite the hook, and means for actuating the twister, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a frame adapted to be slid along the line of fence, of a twisting-frame pivotally and slidingly secured on the supporting-frame and provided with a bifurcated end, a twister provided with a slot adapted to engage the line-wire, a hook on the twister adapted to be engaged with the stay-wire, means on the twister for disengaging the stay-wire from the hook, means for actuating the twister, and means for locking the actuating means to register the slot in the twister with the bifurcated end of the twisting-frame, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a supportingframe adapted to be slid along the line of fence and a twisting-frame slidingly secured on the supporting-frame, of a twister on the twisting-frame provided with a slot adapted to engage the line-wire, a hook on the twister adapted to be engaged with the stay-wire, a shoulder on the end of the twister on the opposite side of the slot, a beveled portion 011 the shoulder for disengaging the hook from the stay-wire, and means for actuating the twister.

5. The combination with the supportingframe adapted to be slid along the line of fence, of a twisting-frame provided with a bifurcated end and 'slidingly secured on the supporting-frame, a gear-wheel j ournaled on the twisting-frame, oppositely-arranged pinions journaled on the frame and meshing with the gear-wheel, an operating-handle secured to one of the pinions, a twister secured to the opposite pinion and provided with a slot adapted to engage the line-wire, a hook on the twister adapted to engage the stay-wire, a beveled shoulder for disengaging the hook from the stay-wire, a spring-actuating means for locking the parts when the slot, in the twister registers with the bifurcated end of the frame, and a lever pivoted on the twisting-frame for releasing said means.

6. The combination with a supportingframe adapted to be slid along the line of fence, of a twisting-frame slidingly and pivotally secured to the supporting-frame and provided with a bifurcated end, a gear-wheel journaled on the twisting-frame and provided with oppositely arranged apertures, pinions journaled on the twisting-frame on opposite sides of the gear-wheel, one pinion provided with actuating means, a twister connected to the oppositepinion and provided with the slot in line with the apertures in the gear-Wheel, at stated intervals a hook on the twister, a shou1- der on the twister opposite the hook, a pin adapted to engage one of the apertures in the gear-wheel, and a spring-actuated lever for forcing the pin in engagement with the apertures, substantially as described. a '10 In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

- HUGH L. DAVIS.

Witnesses:

THOS. SHULTZ, DONALD BRISON. 

